I am not only a huge Indy fan, but of 1930's style pulp in general. While you can find some movies pretty easy on the subject, I have rarely seen any novels that strike the same vein as Indiana Jones. The Cussler Dirk Pitts are close, but I want something a little closer.

So, I turn to the open resource of this forum. Any good 1930's action/pulp stories out there?

The only one I have really found was "Lucifer Jones" books by Mike Resnick,
thanks for any input.

Well, it's not quite pulp, but there is the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters.

The books are set in the the late 1800s, and are told in style of the memoirs by Amelia, detailing her life, archaeology (particularly Egyptology) and cheesy mysteries w/fantastically pulpy villians.

There's some action, and the character Emerson has been referred to as the British Indiana Jones. The books make for quick, simple reads. In all, the series reminds me of a strange mix of Indiana Jones, Jane Austen, and The Mummy (1999).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stoo

You would probably really enjoy "Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze" series.

1.Babylon Rising
The First Book goes by the same name of the series, Babylon Rising. It chronicles the adventures of Michael Murphy and how he tries to find the three pieces of The Brazen Serpent. Eventually, instead he finds the golden head of the statue of Nebuchadnezzar.

2.The Secret On Ararat
The Second Book of the series, entitled The Secret On Ararat, again chronicles the adventures of Murphy and Isis and how they search for Noah's Ark in a desperate attempt to prove the Bible correct.

3.The Europa Conspiracy
The Third Book in the series, called: The Europa Conspiracy, is about the rise of the Seven, Michael Murphy's attempt to find the "Handwriting on the Wall" and his growing relationship with Isis Proserpina McDonald, as well as the complication of Talon's attempts to avenge himself against Murphy.

4.The Edge Of Darkness
The Fourth Book in Babylon Rising, The Edge Of Darkness, is about the locating the Lost Ark and deals with safe-guarded Biblical prophecies to expose a conspiracy with terrifying consequences for our modern world, as Michael Murphy sets off to find the Lost Temple of Dagon, and discovers who "Methusela" (the mysterious rich man who had set Murphy on all his quests) is.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylon_Rising"

These are great action/adventure stories in the style of Indiana Jones. Warning though that these are Christian novels...so expect some preaching. Don't worry though, the preaching doesn't take away from the story.

I have tried looking for the "Classics" of pulp - Doc Savage, Shadow and so one, but other than comics, I can never find them in bookstores. I am hoping some interest in that style will bring those back in print.

Try checking at your local Borders stores. Both Doc Savage and the Shadow are back in print. You'll find them in the mystery section of the store. The trim size is approximately the same as the old pulp novels. These new collections have two novels collected per book. They also reprint the original pulp covers and include a number of new articles, etc. A new collection is released in each line monthly.

I believe there are currently 15 Doc Savage books out (totaling 31 novels - one book had three stories in it) and 16 Shadow books (or 32 novels).

Plenty of Indy style action! (Though the Shadow is more pulp - crime, he does have some exotic adventures from time to time. Doc really has the most Indy-like adventures. Be advised however that many of the are much more sci-fi than archaeology based. Still, pure pulp.)

Check out Talbot Mundy's Jim Grim series -- perhaps the most Indy-esque stories from the Pulp genre (even more so than Doc Savage). You can find Jim Grim on Project Gutenberg. Try "The Nine Unknown" and "Jimgrim."

Also, Bartle Bull's African Trilogy. The hero is very similar to Indiana Jones, and even battles Nazis in the final book "The Devil's Oasis."

Also isn't James Rollins doing the novelization of "Indiana Jones and the Temple Of The Crystal Skull" ? So you might like to check out some of his books "Excavation", "Subterranean", "Amazonia". "Map Of Bones" etc Note. I don't think that Rollins books are set in the 30's.

Yet another to check out might be "Wildside Press" www.wildsidepress.com They have reprinted a number of perhaps lesser known pulp authors such as Arthur O Friel ("Amazon Nights") and E Hoffman Price ("Satan's Daughter and Other Tales")

Check out Talbot Mundy's Jim Grim series -- perhaps the most Indy-esque stories from the Pulp genre (even more so than Doc Savage). You can find Jim Grim on Project Gutenberg. Try "The Nine Unknown" and "Jimgrim."

I've been meaning to look for some Jimgrim books. Thanks for reminding me!
(The only exposure I have to Mundy's work is the film version of "King of the Khyber Rifles".)

Another pulp authour I wanted to mention was Edgar Wallace, who wrote the early draught of "King Kong" (The Beast).
I've never read his stuff but he was a popular pulp novelist of the '20s and has tons of titles to his name.

1.Babylon Rising
The First Book goes by the same name of the series, Babylon Rising. It chronicles the adventures of Michael Murphy and how he tries to find the three pieces of The Brazen Serpent. Eventually, instead he finds the golden head of the statue of Nebuchadnezzar.

2.The Secret On Ararat
The Second Book of the series, entitled The Secret On Ararat, again chronicles the adventures of Murphy and Isis and how they search for Noah's Ark in a desperate attempt to prove the Bible correct.

3.The Europa Conspiracy
The Third Book in the series, called: The Europa Conspiracy, is about the rise of the Seven, Michael Murphy's attempt to find the "Handwriting on the Wall" and his growing relationship with Isis Proserpina McDonald, as well as the complication of Talon's attempts to avenge himself against Murphy.

4.The Edge Of Darkness
The Fourth Book in Babylon Rising, The Edge Of Darkness, is about the locating the Lost Ark and deals with safe-guarded Biblical prophecies to expose a conspiracy with terrifying consequences for our modern world, as Michael Murphy sets off to find the Lost Temple of Dagon, and discovers who "Methusela" (the mysterious rich man who had set Murphy on all his quests) is.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylon_Rising"

These are great action/adventure stories in the style of Indiana Jones. Warning though that these are Christian novels...so expect some preaching. Don't worry though, the preaching doesn't take away from the story.

Tim LaHaye is one of the two writers of The Left Behind series. They are all about the coming apocalypse.

Welcome to the world of Crimson Skies. The United States is a land torn apart by epidemic and war. With chaos on the ground, America’s highways have been forced into the skies, a lawless new frontier where the flying ace—hero, pirate, villain—is king. Here are the exciting, danger-packed adventures of three such daredevils.

The Case of the Phantom Prototype. A hefty payday convinced dogfight genius Paladin Blake to fly a top-secret aircraft into the Mojave Desert. But on this job, Blake must not only save himself, but thousands of others slated for death by an unseen foe.

“Genghis” Kahn & the Manchurian Gambit. Why is the notorious leader of the Red Skull Legion pirate gang rescuing a lady in distress, returning gold, and duking it out in blazing air battles from Manhattan to Manchuria with no plunder in sight? Wonders never cease.

Bayou Blues. Ever since flying ace Nathan Zachary made a pirate ship out of a stolen zeppelin, the gentleman air-pirate and his “Fortune Hunters” gang have roamed the globe in search of money, fame, and adventure. But a double-dealing Cajun sky-thief, a crooked businessman, and a pair of star-crossed lovers may just trump this ace in a high-stakes, high-altitude con game.

It's a wonderful little Crimson Skies collection, featuring three novellas written by three different authors. Bayou Blues ends up being the best of the three, but the collection as a whole is excellent, and a steal at seven bucks.

It's a wonderful little Crimson Skies collection, featuring three novellas written by three different authors. Bayou Blues ends up being the best of the three, but the collection as a whole is excellent, and a steal at seven bucks.

There is a video game of this very thing on the orginal Xbox, called Crimson Skies.
Same hero, and everything.

Thank you Stoo. While looking through my (small, but growing) collection of Pulp reprints I stumbled upon an anthology of "public domain" stories published by "Wildcat Books" . It is called "Weird Wonder" tales and I just HAD to share some of the titles of the stories with you all. How could any "pulp" fan resist stories with titles like "The Devil's Crypt", "Black pool For Hell Maidens","The Thing That Dined On Death" or "Blood-bait for Hungry Mermaids", I ask you ? (The image of Ariel from Disney's "the Litle Mermaid" as a cannibal killer with razor sharp teeth just came to mind ! Brrrr. I'd better stop now)

Absolutely they are pulp ! Some of Howards other work such as his westerns ("The Riot At Bucksnort") or the "Breakenridge Elkins" tales ("A Gent From Bear Creek" etc) or his various boxing stores are worth seeking out as well.

Location: The distant figure that walks the treeline. The man standing in the field.

Posts: 4,152

Quote:

Originally Posted by otto rahn

Absolutely they are pulp ! Some of Howards other work such as his westerns ("The Riot At Bucksnort") or the "Breakenridge Elkins" tales ("A Gent From Bear Creek" etc) or his various boxing stores are worth seeking out as well.

I have never read his boxing or westerns. I have all the Conan, Solomon Kane, Kull, and Bran Mak Mourn stories however and love them!

I got into pulp via my Indiana Jones/1930s fanaticism (I buy from Bud Plant -- no link because they sell some NSFW stuff like art books). I like Doc Savage, but I think hearing comparisons to Indiana Jones just sets one up for disappointment. He's more like Superman in a science fiction setting, and he's never really in suspenseful jeopardy, being as over-adequate as he is. And I find The Shadow to be an utter bore (he shows up, laughs, shoots someone, and then leaves. The bulk of the books are about uninteresting, interchangeable sidekicks or incidental characters). The Spider's my favorite by far, as far as actual reading goes. I enjoyed the literary Tarzan, too.

Also read "The Man in the Ceiling" by Jules Feiffer. It follows a young aspiring comic book artist in the development of his craft and how his family influences his work. His first comics are Indiana Jones-like stories (which are actually referenced as such) featuring he and his Indy-like father going on adventures, a major contrast to his real father who rarely gives his son attention or appreciates his art.